Car door opener



19317 H. RICHARDSON 1,819,974

CAR DOOR OPENER Filed Jan. 31. 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l g- 1931- H. RICHARDSON 1,819,974

CAR DOOR OPENER Filed Jan 31. 1 928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 115mg iiicfiardaom g- 1931. H. RICHARDSON CAR DOOR OPENER s Sheets-Sheet s Filed Jan. 31, 1928 way car containing grain or other material in the pressure-of the grain in the car, dimin- Patented Aug. 18, 1931 I I UNE'TE stares arsnr c rries HENRY RIGHABDEQN OF IPASSAIQ, NEW JERSEY can noonornnnn Application filed January 31, 1828. Serial No. 250,300.

The present invention relates to improvepressure of the grain which resists such moments in door openers or removers, and more tion of the door is at the maximum, and as especially to those of the type adapted to the openingmovement of the door continues, open or remove the door in-the side of a railduring which resistance to its motion, due to bulk, incident to theunloading thereof. ishes, the door opening movement is effected A primary object of the invention is to pro at an increased ratio with respect to the tilt vide door engaging members which are of the car unloading platform about its longimounted to swing inwardly and upwardly tudinal axis. so that the car door is caused to work with the To these and other ends, theinvention con- Q grain by travelling within theangle of worksists in certain improvements and combinaing slide of the grain, thereby effecting the tlons and arrangements of parts, all as will be inward and upward swinging movement of hereinafter more fully described, the features the door with the least expenditure of energy of novelty being pointed out particularly in and without danger of damage to the car the claims at the'end of the specification.

t u tu In the accompanying draw1ngs:

Another object of the invention is to prog. i 15 an end elevation, partly in secvide a novel and improved door opener or retion, of a car unloader and a cooperative door mover of this class which is adapted to detach pener constructed in accordance with th and relatively push in the door in the side of PES IU l'hvehlllOll; a loaded car with the least expenditure of F g- 2 1 2 Side l v n the @001 1 6 energy possible and without damage to the and a portion of the car unloader shown in car structure, all of said operation taking gplace while the car is being tilted about an g 3 i -fl diagrammatic view showing the appropriate longitudinal axis, whereby the 5.001 openerin position to commence the door door is removed from the door opening and pening operation;

raised sufficiently to provide a substantially g 4- IS a View slmllarto Fig. 8 but showunobstructed path for the outflow of the hg the unloading mechanism ar i lly grain or other material and to hold the door bllted about a longitudinal n 1. in such a removed and raised position that 611161108 Whlfih the @1001 has been detached free and unobstructed access will be allowed lfrom/Che S de Of the Car and partially opened;

the attendant during the unloading of the and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view on an Another object of the invention is to pron g d le, showing the manually operavide a door opener of this class for use in lfi r l' lllg 0r disengaging the conjunction with a car unloader of the type abutment-10m the ClOOI' gag g lhemhelS 5- which tilts the car about both longitudinal p m t thfillhutment he W thdrawn.

and transverse axes toe'tlect unloading of the 511111151" P are deslgnated y h 6 grain or other material therefrom, the door reference fihalacters in t Several g r opener having means which looks the de- Door openers embodying the present lnvc 'tached door in raised position thus allowing h n are appllcable g to a nl dall other door opening mechanism to be re- 6195 of the yp p y unlofidmg liiLOVOKll clear 0 t th outflowing grain and thus 3 boir pars containing grain a d th id b t ti t it di h material in bulk in which the car is tilted A fin-they bj t f th i ti igrto about a longitudinal axis toward the door in as vide nov l and improved means for utilizing the Shh) h t q g Whlch thegrain the tilting motion of the car unloading plat- O1" material 1s to be dlscharged. It is the form about longitudinal axis whereby an common practice to transport grain on railample force is brought to bear on the door to ways in box cars the side door openings of detach and move it at a point where the which are closed day nailing boards against 3"" the insideof the car so that they extend across the door openings and thus form doors which confine the grain therein.

It has been found by experience that a force exerted substantially horizontally in a lateral direction of a car, directly against a door in its side, tends to pack the grain or similar material against and thereby bulge out the opposite side of the car, thus straining and causing damage to the car structure.

It is a known fact that grain and similar products have certain m nimum angles of working slide, namely grain will slide on a fixed surface inclined at 38 to the horizontal, as indicated by the line a in Fig. 3; grain will slide on itself when piled to an angle of 28 to the horizontal, andgrain will slide on a travelling surface at an angle of 18, as indicated by the line Z)-0 in Fig. 3. In other words, worked grain has an agility or readiness to move and work with an object moved through it, offering smaller resistance to that object, provided the work done is not directly against the inertia of the grain but is within its angle of working slide, which in the case of grain ranges from 18 to 38 from the horizontal.

Theenergy requiredjn the process of moving a grain door inwardly against the pressure of the grain-is in direct relation to and is governed by the downward weight and lateral inertia of the grain opposite the door in question; therefore by combination of a downward lateral swing of the car floor and an upward lateral swin of the door opening means the grain door is enabled to work with the grain by traveling within its angle of working slide, thereby effecting the inward movement of the door with the least expenditure of energy and with-out fear of damage to the car structure.

The present invention is adapted to detach the boards forming the door which closes the .gloor opening in the side of the car through which the grain is to be discharged when the car is tilted by car unloading mechanism about an appropriately located longitudinal axis, such tilting motion of the car being utilized according to the present invention to etliciently detach and open the door and to remove the door from the path of the outflowing grain. The invention moreover is applicable to a car unloader wherein the car is tilted by a car unloading device not only about a longitudinal axis but also subsequently in an endwise direction or about a transverse axis for the purpose of effecting sub stantially complete removal of the grain or other material. from the ends of the car, and during such endwise tilting the door opener serves to support or hold the detached and removed door in an elevated position clear of the outflowing grain.

The preferred embodiment of the inven tion is shown in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter described in detail, but it is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise construction shown as equivalent constructions may be used and such are contemplated within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, the invention is shown applied to a car unloader of the general class shown and described in my prior Patent No. 1,364,808 granted Jan. l, 1921, such an unloader comprising a platform or bridge 1 having rails 2 on which the wheels of a grain car X are adapted to rest, the car, in the case of the unloading of grain, being usually of the railway box type having boards nailed across the door opening in each side of the car to form the door w. The platform or bridge 1 carries a hopper 3 at the side thereof at which the grain is to be discharged, and the pit l provided to accommodate the car unloading mechanism contains a station ary hopper 5 into which the grain discharged from the car isv directed by the hopper 3, as will be clear from my prior patent above noted.

The car supporting platform or bridge 1 is mounted on a carrier 6 which comprises a segmental girder 16 and a load carrying member 9, and this carrier is provided, at a point below the car and preferably below the car supporting platform or bridge, with a fulcrum composed of a saddle and a bearing 8 on which it rests, the latter being supported upon a firm relatively fixed pedestal foundation 11. The saddle 7 and its bearing 8 extend longitudinally of the platform or bridge, or the length of a car thereon and they thus form a longitudinal axis about which the platform or bridge and a car thereon and also the carrier 6 may tilt. Normally, the platform or bridge is in a level position, substantially as shown in Fig. 3, and means is provided for tilting the platform or bridge from the level position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 and for return ing the platform to level position, such means being shown in the present instance as comprising a gear 10 which is mounted on the fixed pedestal 11 and carries a crank pin 12 which cooperates with a pitman 13 the latter being operatively connected at 14L to the lower portion of the carrier 6. The gear 10 may be rotated at appropriate times by an electric motor 15 or other suitable means which is operatively connected to the gear 10, it being understood that rotation of the gear 10 will is supported on the carrier 6 through the intermediary of the segmental girder 16 which rotates on a curved rail '17 fixed to the car" rier, whereby the car carrying platform or bridge is caused to tilt about a transverse axis plete unloading thereof.

18,.thuselevating alternately the ends of the car whilethe latter is held tilted about its longitudinal axis, and facilitatingthe complete unloading of the grain from the car. The tiltably mounted carrier and platform and suitable-mechanisms for operating them are fully shown and described in my above noted patent to which reference is made for a full andcomp'lete disclosure thereof.

The door openeror remover, according to the present invention, comprises preferably a pair of door engaging arms or men bers 19 which are fixed at their upper ends to a shaft 20. In order that the relationship between the door opening arms and the car will not be altered or disturbed during the tilting motion of the platform about the transverse axis 18, this shaft is rotatably mounted at its ends in standards 21 which are ri idly fixed toaside of the platform or bridge i and pro- ;ject upwar ly therefrom so as to occupy positions at a side of a car resting on the platform. The door-engaging arms 19 are of a length to bring the lower ends thereof into a position immediately above the floor of the car-having the highest floor normally used, as shown in Fig. 3, and these arms swing inwardly through the door opening in the of the car, shown in Figs. 1 and 4, about It will boards composing the door adjacent to the ends thereof which are usually nailed to the door posts in the side of the car, and the shaft 20 about which these arms swing is preferably located at or near the level of the top of the door opening, so that the initial part of the door opening movement of the arms 19 will be an arcuate movement which imparts a substantially inward and gradually increasing upward motion to the portions of the door then engaged by these arms, thus serving to detach the door by withdrawing the nails securing it in place, and the further or continued doer'openlng movement of these-arms produces a continued arcuate anovement thereof which carries tl e door upwardly and away from the side of the car and above and clear-of the grain so that the latter may discharge through the door openingwithout obstruction from the door.

By mounting the shaft 20 carrying the door-engaging arms 19 on the standards 21 which are lixed to the platform 1, endwise tilt of the car aboutthe axis 18 will not alter the after they have been moved into such position.

ly at 24;, the outer. end ofthe link '22 being'pivotally connected to the adjacent standard 21 at 25 and'the outer end of:.the link 23 being pivotally connected at 26 to an arm orplate 27 which is fixedto the; adjacent end of the shaft 20. These toggles and cooperating plates may be provided at both ends of "the shaft 20, as is shown. WVhenthe door-engaging arms 19 are in-inoperative positionor are in position tocommence the door opening operation, each of the toggles is in flexedform, but as the arms 19 swing inwardly and upwardly incident to the door opening operation, the intermediate pivot 24 approaches a position in alinement with the pivots 25 and 26, and when the arms 19 reach the limitof their swinging movement, the intermediate pivot 24 is slightly below a .line between the pivots 25 and 26,. and the link 22 comes to rest on the bearing of the link 23 whichengages the pivot 26, as shown in Fig. 1. The toggles are then locked and they actto hold the arms 19 and the detached door raised thereon,in raised position clear of the outflowing grain. The toggle link 23 preferably embodies a screw 23 for adjusting its lengthsothat the "toggle will properly look when the arms 19 reach the limit-of their swinging movement. The pivots 26 are-preferably off-set outwardly from the pivots 25 so that the toggle will occupy an inclined position and gravity be utilized to effect the final locking of the toggles. To lower the arms 19 after'unloading of the car has been completed, it is only necessary to break or unlock the toggles by manipulation of the lever 41 which is connected to the link22, the toggle being, then permitted to flex While the arms :19 swing downwardly and outwardly and thus return totheir initial or inoperativepositioli between the standards 21 automaticall h their own weight, and they will become automatically flex slightly belowtheir straight position-and bear against the limit stop 123. In order to facilitate placing of the arms 19'againstthe 1 door preparatory to the opening thereof,=as shownin Fig. 3 and also the restoring of these arms to normal or initial position, under manual control, the plates 27 are preferably provided with weights 28 which act to counterbalance the Weight of the arms 19. The door-engaging face 29 of eacharm 19 is preferably so arranged that the lower ends of these arms will first engage; the door, as shown in Fig. 3, and the remaining portions of the l door will be engaged by these arms progressively, as will be understood from a comparison of Figures 3, and 4,:the resistance toropening of the door being thus overcome most effectively.

locked in that position'by. the toggles which The door opening operation of the arms 19 is produced by and in consequence of ti e tilting of the car supporting platform toward the opener about the longitudinal aXis determined by the saddle 7 and bearing 8. According to the present invention, the tilt of the car about the longitudinal axis determined by the fulcrum elements 7 and 8 causes the door-engaging arms to detach the door and to relatively move it inwardly against the pressure of grain within the car, and after the door has been detached and its resistance to opening has been decreased, the door is swung inwardly and upwardly at an increased speed with respect'to the tilt of the car supporting platform and to an extent which will carry the door away from the side of the car and sufliciently high above the floor of the car to clear and thus avoid obstructing the out flow of the grain.

According to the present invention, the door opening movement, consequent upon tilting motion of the car supporting platform on the fulcrum elements 7 and S as an axis, is imparted to the door-engaging arms 19 by an abutment member, that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive comprising a pair of similar elements 30 which are connected to swing in unison by a sleeve 31, the latter being mounted to rock on a shaft 32 which is immovably fixed to a stationary frame 33 at the same side of the pit as the hopper 5. The abutment member is thus adapted to be swung, manually or otherwise, in a plane transverse to the length of the car supporting platform, from the normal inoperative position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 into the initial operative position shown in Fig. 3 preparatory to the opening of the car door, and after the door opening operation has been completed, the member is returned to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1. Each side element of the abutment member is provided with a head 34 which is so shaped and located that it will come to rest on the floor of the car at the bottom of the door opening therein automatically in all cases, irrespective of whether the car has a high or a low floor level, when the abutment member is swung into the full line position shown in Fig. 3, adjustments to suit floor levels of different heights being unnecessary. The head 34- on each side element of the abutment member is preferably composed of laterally spaced plates or members adapted to straddle the lower end of the respective door-engaging member 19, and each head carries a pin 35 which extends transversely between and connects these plates and is arranged to finally seat in the deepest portion of specially designed contour formed in the outer side of the respective door-engaging member near its lower end, assuming the door opening member has been set in its initial operative position against the outer side of the door.

At this time, the platform 1 and the car thereon are in upright or non-tilted position as shown in Fig. 3. Tilting motion of the platform and the car thereon toward the left, about the fulcrum elements 7 and 8 as an axis, causes the side of the car to move laterally but the door opening arms 19 will be sustained against such lateral movement by the abutment of the pins 35 against them, these pins being carried by the abutment member whose pivot 32 is fixed, but because of the pivotal connection of the door opening arms to the standards 21 mounted on the car carrying platform, they commence their upward motion at the same moment. The result will be that the door-engaging arms will be firmly and directly moved inwardly and upwardly while the door in the side of the car is brought against them, and as the arcuate movement of the car in a lateral plane continues while the door is held against such movement, the nails fastening the door in place will be drawn, thus detaching the door, and the door opening in the side of the car will be gradually uncovered by the continued arcuate lateral displacement of the side of the car relatively to the door, and this door detaching and opening operation will be performed against the pressure of the grain in the car. The door opening operation will continue, through the engaging of the pins 35 with the lower portions of the door-engaging arms 19 until the door has been substantially completely detached, the

detachment of the door taking place progressively in a direction fro-m the bottom to ward the top, due to the inclination of the inner door engaging edges 29 of the arms 19 relatively to the outer surface of the door supplemented by a change in the angle of the arms 19 relatively to the door, due to the inward and upward arcuate movement of the arms 19 which takes place about the center of the shaft 20 as an axis.

The side elements of the abutment member 30 are also provided with heads 37 which are located above the heads 34 but may be composed of laterally spaced plates arranged to straddle the outer edges of the respective arms 19. Each of the heads 37 carries a pin 38 which connects the plates and each of these pins is adapted to seat in a notch or recess 39 in the outer side of the respective arm 19 when the car supporting platform is tilted to a predetermined extent about the fulcrum elements 7 and 8 as an axis. After the pins 38 have seated in the notches 39, the continued tilt of the platform transfers the thrust from the pins 35 to the pins 38, and as the pins 38 engage the arms 19 at points near the middle of their length, the outward swing of the shaft 20 will cause the arms 19 to rock or fulcrum on the pins 38'. This operation takes place after the door has been detached and the resistance offered to the opening of the door by the grain within the car has diminished to a substantial degree, andthe effect of transferring the thrust from the pins 35=to the pins-38 is to accelerate'the inward and upward swing of the arms 19 and to cause these arms to swing through a relatively wide angle, this increased speed and range oft motion of the door opening arms being produced by the resulting increased rate of motion of the arms with respect tothe tilting motion of the car supporting platform. It will be understood that after the pins 38 come into action against the arms 19, the continued tilt of the car supporting platform will cause retraction of the pins 35 from the notches 36 which are near the lower or free ends of the arms. The notches 39 in which the pins38 engage serve to prevent displacement of the pins 38 from their points of engagement with the door opening arms, dueto the changing angle be tween. the arms and theabutment member. However, as the-platform and the car thereon approach the limit of tilt as shown in Fig. 1, an additional pin. pivotally mounted at 42 on each head; 37 on the abutment member comes into engagement with the respective arm 19, and as-the thrust is transferred from the door. opening arms to these pins 40', the pins 38 are fully withdrawn fromthe respective1notches39 and are clear of any portion of the arms 19; The portions of the arms 1-9 engaged by the pins 40' are preferably very slightly notched, and as the toggles will move automatically intolocking positions and thus sustain the arms 19 and the detached door thereon in the fully lifted position as showninFig. 1, theabutment member can be shifted without difficulty from the full line position to the inoperative dotted line p0sition. shown in Fig. 1., after the pin has been s-wung'downw-ardly about its bearing 4:2 by manipulation of the hand lever 43, the pin 40 being manually held by a compression spring 44 against a stop 45 in such aposition that its bearing 42 is below the line passing through the centers of the pin 40 and the shaft 32-, no obstruction being then offered tothe withdrawal of the pins 40 from the door opening arms.

Retraction of the abutment member into the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1-. after the door has been opened and raised above the grain in thecar, removes this abutment from in front of the car door opening,

and the car is then free for endwise tilting about the axis 18 without interference from the abutmentmember and moreover,.during these endwise tilting motions of the car, the door is held locked in its fully opened and raised position by the toggles, after the car has been completely unloaded, it may be returned to an upright position with respect to both its longitudinal and transverse axes. and after-the toggles have been unlocked the door. engagingarms will swing automatically by gravity in. an arc downwardly and outwardly to, clear the car, thus ileaving-thje-door within the car, and: the empty car may. then be removed from the unloader and another loaded car placed. thereon for unloading and the door engaging arms will belocked. in their lowered. inoperative position away from the side. of the car-by the togglesiwhich will then be straightened and held in. such form by gravity.

A door opener constructed in accordance with the present inventionin capable ofdetaching and. opening the door with speed'and efficiency, and the door opener is capable of holding the door. in a raised, position clear of the discharging. grain. during, the .unload-. ing andtilting. motions imparted to=the, car. thus insuring maximum speed inthe flow of the grain from the car and avoiding the delay and other objections-incident to the. re+ moval of fragments or partsofthe door. as the unloading.- progresses. In. fact, this. in: vention enables the d oor. tobe detachedv and removed while remaining substantially. in:- tact. Furthermore, the construction and mode of operation of the door opener. aresuch that the door and. the mechanism. acting thereon to open it are readily accessibleto the attendant throughout the entire unloading operation and the unloading operation can be carried out advantageously. and with facility under the control of the. attendant who has easy access tothe interior ofthe car. For test purposes preliminary. to the placing of a car on the unloader, the. functioning of the entire door opening mechanism can. be observed.

By mounting the carrier to tilt about. a

longitudinal axiswhich is located. below the car rails and preferably below the car supporting platform, and mounting the door opening arms to swing; about an axis'which is located at or near the level of the lintel of the car door opening and to. tilt with the carrier about its transverse axis. the car is caused to tilt substantially bodily in an arcuate lateral and downwarc direction while the door opening arms swing in an arcuate path which is inward and. upward duringthe door'opening operation, and the relative movements of. the car and the door opening arms are most advantageous and material and its relatively small resistance to the movement of an object through it within this angle, the resistance offered by the grain to the inward movement of the door is relatively small, thus reducing the load on the door opening mechanism and alsoavoiding packing of the grain against the opposite side of the car during the door opening operation, it having been observed that the grain tends to pile up in the center of the car during the door opening operation. 7

Moreover, by swinging the door in an inward and upward direction the resistance to opening movement of the door is further re duced by the outflow of grain which is permitted to take place through the space between the lower edge of the door and the car floor, and as this space increases during the door opening movement, the door may be opened at an increasing speed with re spect to the tilting motion of the car supporting platform by the motion-amplifying action of the abutment member upon the intermediate portion of the door engaging arms, which are thus enabled by reason or their arcuate motion in a lateral plane, to swing the door through a sufficiently wide range or angle to move it away from the side of the car and raise the door above and hence out of the path of the outfiowing grain, thus leaving the door opening in the side of the car sutficiently unobstructed to allow free access tothe car by the attendant at any time during the unloading operation,

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a car supporting platform mounted to move a car thereon in an arcuate path about a longitudinal axis which remains horizontal during such movement, door-engaging means having a pivotal support toward its upper end and swingable into a position at the outer side of a door in a side of the car on said platform, and means having a support with respect to which the arcuate movement of said platform takes place and operative on said door-engaging means, during said arcuate movement of the platform, to swing said door-engaging means about its pivotal support at an increasing rate of speed to initially open the door inwardly in direct consequence of the move ment of the platform and to further open the door with an accelerated movement with having a support with respect to which the arcuate movement of the platform takes place and operative, during such arcuate movement of the platform, on portions of said door-engagingimeans at different distances from its pivotal support to swing said door-engaging means at an increasing speed in a direction to initially open the door by a relatively slow movement and to further open the door by a more rapid movement of the door-engaging means relatively to the speed of lateral motion of the platform.

3. The combination of a platform adapted to move a car in an arcuate lateral direction, door-engaging means pivoted above and at a side of said platform and adapted to act against the door of a car thereon, and means operative on said door-engaging means successively at different distances from its pivot while the platform is moving to swing said door-engaging means in a directionto open the door of a car on said platform.

4. The combination of means for moving a car in an arcuate lateral direction, door-engaging means operative in an arcuate lateral direction and having means for pivotally mounting it on said car moving means above and at a side thereof and adapted to engage the outer side of a door in a car thereon, and an abutment member having a support with respect to which the arcuate movement of the car moving means takes place and operative, during said arcuate movement of the car moving means, on the door-engaging means successively at different distances from its pivotal mounting to swing said door-engaging means in a direction to open the door of a car on said car moving means.

5. The combination of means for moving a car in an arcuate lateral direction, doorengaging means operative in an arcuate lateral direction and having means for pivotally mounting it on and above and at a side of said car moving means and adapted to engage the outer side of a door in a car thereon, and an abutment member having a pivotal support with respect to which the-lateral movement of the car moving means takes place and operative in an arcuate lateral direction and having portions thereof arranged to act on said door-engaging means successively at a point remote from its pivotal mounting and subsequently at a point nearer to its pivotal mounting during said lateral movement of the car moving means to swing said door-engaging means in a direction to respectively initiate and complete the opening of the door in the side of a car on said car moving means.

6. The combination of means operative to move a car in an arcuate lateral direction, a door-engaging member having means for pivot-ally supporting it toward its upper end to swing in an arcuate lateral direction with respect to the car moving means and to engage a door in the adjacent side of the car on said car moving means, and an abutment member having a support with respect to which the lateral movement of the car moving means takes place and arranged to act on the door-engaging member first toward its lower end and subsequently at an intermediate part of its length during said lateral movement of the car moving m ans to swing said doorengaging member in a direction to open the door of a car 011 said car moving means.

7. The combination of means operative to move a car in an arcuate lateral direction, a door-engaging member operative in an arcuate lateral direction and pivota ly suspended above and at a side of the car moving means to'act on a door in the side of a car thereon, and an abutment member having a support with respect to which the lateral movement of the car moving means takes place and adapted tobe placed against the door-engaging member and having portions spaced vertically of the door-engaging member to successively contact therewith during the lateral movement of the car moving means and to force said door-engaging member in a direction to open the door of a car on said car moving means. v

8. The combination of a car supporting platform operative to move a car thereon in an arcuate lateral direction, a pivotally-susof a door in a side of the car thereon, and an abutment member having means for supporting it at a side of said platform and having vertically spaced portions thereon arrangedto act successively on thelower and intermediate portions of the door-engaging member to open the door in the car during the arcuate lateral movement of said platform.

9. The. combination of a door-engaging member having a supporting pivot about which it is swingable in an arcuate lateral direction, and an abutment member having a supportingpivot located at a sideof the pivot of the door-engaging member and having portions thereof spaced at d rent (li .iances from the supporting pivot of the door-en ing member, the supporting pivot of the doorengaging member being movable relatively to that of the abutment member to cause the latter to suc essively ac: on different portions of the door-engaging member to swing the latter in a direction to perform a door-opening operation.

10. The combination of a door-engaging member, having means for pivotally support ing it at its upper end to operate in an arouate lateral direction and having recesses toward its lower end and at its intermediate portion, and an abutment member having pivotal supporting means at a side of the pivotal center of the door-engaging member and having portions to successively enter said recesses. i

11. In a car door opener, the combination of a door-engaging member having means for pivotally supporting it at its upper end to swing in an arcuate lateral direction into position against a car door, and an abutment member having means for pivoting it to swing in an arcuate lateral direction into position against said door-engaging member and having portions thereon spaced to engage different vertically spaced portions of the door-engaging members. 7

12. The combination of a car carrying platform tiltable on a longitudinal axis, a doorengaging member having means for sus pending it from a point above the floor of a car on said platform and arranged to swing in an arcuate lateral direction into position against a door in the side of a car on said platform, and means operative to swing said member in a direction inwardly and upward- 1y to open the door of a car on said platform and to elevate the door in the car while the latter is being tilted by the platform.

13. The combination of a tiltable carcarrying platform, a door-engaging member carried by the platform and operative in an arcuate lateral direction, meansfor operating said member to open and raise the door of a car on the platform, and means movable with the platform and cooperative with said member for holding the door in raised position.

14. The combination of a door-engaging member having means for pivotally suspend ing it toward its upper end to operate in an arcuate lateral direction and to swing into position against a car door, means to act on said member to swing it in a direction'to open and raise the car door, and toggle means cooperative with said member to hold it and the car door in raised position.

15. The combination of a car supporting platform tiltable about longitudinal and transverse axes, a door-engaging member pivotally suspended on the platform to operate in an arcuate lateral direction and-movable into position against a door in a side of a car thereon, an abutment member having a support with respect to which the platform tilts and positioned to act on the doorengaging member,during tilting of theplatform about its longitudinal axis, to open and raise the car door, and means movable with 3120 the platform and cooperative with the doorengaging member to hold the door in ralsed position and provide access to the interlor of the car during tilting movement of the platformfon an axis located above the level of the floor of said car and about which said member is movable in an arcuate path transverse to the length of the platform and against a door in the side of a car on said platform, and means for causing the arcuate lateral movement of the car door opening member to take place about its axis concurrently with the arcuate lateral movement of the car supporting platform about its axis to remove the doorinwardly and up wardly away from the side of the car.

17. The combination of a door-engaging member pivotally suspended at its upper end to swing in a lateral plane and notched at its lower end and intermediately of its ends, an abutment member having pivots to cooperate successively with the notches of the door-engaging member whereby the first engaging pivot automatically starts the car door re moving process at the floor level of the car regardless of any variation in height of said car floor above the rails, and means for disengaging t-he pivot of the abutment member which finally engages the door-engaging member from said door-engaging member whereby said abutment member may be withdrawn after said door-engaging member has been elevated.

18. The combination of a car unloading platform, a door-engaging member, and an abutment member each having means for supportin it pivotally to move in an arcuate path and in a plane tranverse to the leng'h of said platform, the pivotal supporting means for the door-engaging member being on and above the platform and its pivotal support, and the abutment member being movable into position to bear against the door-engaging member below its pivotal supporting means whereby the arcuate movement of the car unloading platform in cooperation with the combined arcuate movements of the doorengaging member and its abutment member will cause the door engaging member to move inwardly and upwardly away from the side of a car on the platform and to engage and remove the door from the side of the car and raise it above the floor thereof.

19. The combination of a car supporting platform mounted to move a car thereon in an arcuate direction laterally and downwardly about a longitudinal axis which remains horizontal during said movement, door-engaging means pivotally suspended on said platform to swing laterally about an axis located above and at a side of said platform and at appproximately the level of the lintel of the door opening in the side of a car thereon to engage the outer side of the car door, and means operative on said door engaging means during said arcuate movement downwardly of the platform to initially open the door inwardly in direct consequence of the 65 movement of the platform.

20. The combination of a pivotally mounted car supporting platform, a car doar opening member having means toward its upper end for pivotally supporting it on said platform above and at the outer side the door in the side of a car thereon, and anabutment member having a relatively fixed pivot at a side of the platform to support it in abutting relation with the door opening member during pivotal movement of said platform toward the abu ment member, the door opening and abutment members being supported by their respective pivots to swing in arcuate paths which determine the door opening movements of said members relatively to the pivotal door opening movement of said platform, and the abutment member v abutting against the door opening member during the door-opening movement of the platform to swing the door opening member inwardly and upwardly away from the side of a car on the platform.

21. In a car door opener, a support having means for mounting it at a side of a car to be unloaded, door engaging arms having means for pivotally connecting them at their upper ends to said support to swing in a direction to engage and elevate the door in the side of a car, means connecting said arms and support for holding said arms in position to support the car door in an elevated position during unloading of the car, the weight of said arms acting to return them automatically to an inoperative position when released and to leave the door within the car, and means for locking said arms in inoperative position.

22. In a car door opener, the combination of two door-engaging arms having means pivotally supporting them toward their upper ends to swing into position against the door in the side of a car and to swing inwardly and upwardly into the car, and means for swinging said door engaging arms inwardly and upwardly relatively to the car to remove the door from the side thereof and to elevate the door within the car, thus providing a passageway beneath such arms and the door elevated thereon through which an attendant may enter the car.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

7 HENRY RICHARDSON. 

